If you’ve been conducting your dental implants research then you should by now be familiar with the dental implant material, Titanium. You will be aware that Titanium is used extensively in cosmetic dental procedures but what exactly is it that makes Titanium dental implants so special? This article lists 5 properties that you should know of this important dental implant material.
Contents
Corrosion Resistance
Titanium is a material with excellent corrosion resistance. It is able to withstand attack by acids, chlorine elements in water and fluorine and its compounds – major ingredients in most tooth cleaning products. Titanium actually forms a passive oxide layer when it comes into contact with any oxygen a property which serves to enhance its corrosion resistance even further. It is thus understandable why such a material would be desired in such oxygen-rich environments as the human body.
High Strength
Titanium is an extremely strong material. Its strength matches that of common low-grade steel alloys and as result titanium is extensively used in aerospace and industrial applications. During chewing, we exert up to 200 pounds of pressure onto our teeth and gums so you can begin to see why it makes sense to use a tooth replacement material which is as strong as physically possible.
High Strength-to-Weight Ratio
This is the property which separates Titanium from other high strength materials such as Steel. Titanium has the amazing property of being very high strength whilst also being very light. Without laboring too much over the physics behind this phenomenon this is simply due to the low-density nature of Titanium materials. Unless you enjoy the thought of having a great lump of steel inserted into your skull, it is again quite easy to see why Titanium would be at the top of the list in the search for great materials to use for dental implants.
High Toughness/Durability
Toughness is the measure of a materials ability to withstand strain without tearing or breaking. As previously explained when we chew we exert great forces in various directions onto our teeth and jaw and it is important to replace teeth with a material which can withstand these pressures without warping, bending or buckling.
Biocompatibility
The last and most important property to mention in this article is that the human body LIKES titanium. When inserting materials into the body it is vital to choose a material which can be fully integrated into the body. So far research has shown Titanium to be the only material able to undergo this process of osseointegration. Titanium implants heal with the jaw until they become part of the jaw itself with all the same elements you would expect from a functioning body part including links to the bodies nervous and circulation systems. This integration means that titanium dental implants are not just there to improve your mouth’s aesthetics or to act as a structural bridge – what titanium provides is the ability to recreate a fully functioning tooth and therein lies the beauty of this amazing material.